ST. LOUIS — The dream began so long ago, but it realized itself in the top of the sixth inning Sunday night during a Stand Up To Cancer tribute at Busch Stadium.
Jonny Gomes is a baseball everyman, a player who has had to prove himself every step along the way and even then, sometimes that is not enough.
Gomes was the difference Sunday night, though. His two-out, three-run home run in the sixth inning snapped a 1-1 tie and carried the Red Sox to a 4-2 win over the Cardinals to even the World Series at 2-2.
Gomes is the type of player who inspires others, but Sunday night he was inspired.
“It was ironic that in the top of the sixth, this whole place, and all of us, took a moment of silence for the Stand Up To Cancer, I held two signs myself,’’ Gomes said. “It probably got emotional for some people but there definitely was some angels from up above looking down in the sixth.’’
Gomes said he held up signs for his high school coach in Petaluma, Calif., and a Boston-area youngster.
“It was my high school coach who passed away when he was coaching, Bob Leslie, Casa Grande High School and little Brady Wein, BradyBunchLacrosse.com, is the way you follow him,’’ Gomes said. “He’s about 4 ¹/₂ years old and talk about battle-tested.
“This little kid, he comes out to the ballpark every once in a while and it was pretty special to be able to do that top of the sixth. It really adds to the fairy tale that it was for me today.’’
Jonny Gomes doesn’t just have a big beard, he has a huge heart, too.
As he stood in front of his locker, pitcher Ryan Dempster, who caught the home run ball on one bounce in the Red Sox bullpen, busted through to give his teammate a heartfelt hug.
It was a special moment.
“Jonny has this way of keeping you positive,’’ Dempster said. “He never talks about yesterday. He talks about how we can be great today.’’
Said Gomes: “Since I signed up for this game, all I ever wanted was an opportunity, whether it’s to pinch hit or start, I just want to be in the box.’’
The home run, which came off reliever Seth Maness, was the biggest hit of Gomes’ career, and his first postseason home run.
He was only in the starting lineup because Shane Victorino was scratched with a stiff back. The Red Sox are 8-1 when Gomes starts in the postseason.
The Cardinals are learning what the Yankees learned about the Red Sox in 2004. You can’t count Boston out until the last out. Sunday night was the ninth anniversary of the Red Sox sweeping away the Cardinals in that 2004 World Series, a win that ended the Curse of the Bambino.
Nine years later, the Red Sox got another huge win.
“This is how my baseball life has been written,’’ Gomes said.
His hitting philosophy is simple: “Sit back and wait for a mistake.’’
David Ortiz gave an emotional speech to his teammates after the fifth inning and that helped inspire the Red Sox as well.
“He told us to be ourselves,’’ catcher David Ross said. “He’s a stud, that’s why we call him Cooperstown.’’
“He cares about every one of us as a person,’’ Gomes said of Ortiz.
Gomes and his teammates have one goal.
“This win guaranteed that we get to go back to Fenway and hopefully celebrate a championship in white uniforms, something that Sox Nation hasn’t seen in a long time,’’ Gomes said.
“Every day, every failure, every hit, adds to my motivation in this game,’’ Gomes said. “I’m 32 and I’m still checking things off on my wish list so I’m pretty grateful for that.
“Every pitch I see, my career is on the line.’’
With so much on the line Sunday night, Jonny Gomes touched them all — with his big swing and his big heart.